1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fabric having superior properties with regard to water absorption, diffusion of a water content, and discharge of a water content, and a method of manufacturing the fabric.
2 Description of the Related Art
In sports wear used for outdoor sports such as golf, jogging, skiing or the like, preferably rain water or the like does not penetrate the fabric to come in contact with the body of the wearer, and sweat emitted by the wearer, or a vapour thereof can be rapidly passed through the fabric to the outside thereof. Further, in the case of underwear or bedding, e.g., sheets, preferably the sweat is rapidly absorbed and discharged. A water proofness of a product is contrary to the obtaining of a desired water absorption and moisture permeability of the product. Accordingly, in an attempt to satisfy these contrary requirements, a fabric having a urethane resin layer having a plurality of fine pores or a solid urethane resin layer having a moisture permeability, applied to a surface thereof, is known, but the moisture permeability and the water absorption of the urethane resin layer are relatively poor, and when a quality of sweat generated during physical exercise exceeds a quantity of sweat able to pass through the urethane resin, or when the atmospheric temperature is low or the moisture content of the atmosphere is high, drops of sweat large enough to be seen by the naked eye are adhered to the inside of the fabric. Accordingly, the underwear is made wet by the sweat drops, which is unpleasant for the wearer.
Since a cellulose group fiber such as a cotton, a viscose rayon or the like have a superior water absorption, those fibers have been used for under wear, bedding or the like, but although the cellulose group fiber has a superior water absorption, the rate of discharge of water absorbed in the cellulose group fiber is low. Namely when sweat is generated, the cellulose fiber absorbs and is swollen by the absorbed sweat, and does not discharge the sweat. Therefore the product of the cellulose fiber is uncomfortable when worn.
Further, to improve a low water absorption of a synthetic fiber, an attempt has been made to improve the water absorption by applying a hydrophilic substance such as a polyethylene glycol, a methoxy methyl nylon on a surface of the synthetic fiber. The water absorption of this fiber, however, is still poor, and when a large amount of the hydrophilic substance is used, the handling of the obtained fabric becomes remarkably inferior. Further the hydrophilic substance is easily removed from the fabric by repeated washing.